Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Kill
Palestinians and Increase Number of Incursions into the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT)

· Two Palestinians in the West Bank and an unidentified person
in the Gaza Strip were killed by IOF; one of the victims was extra-judicially
killed by IOF. 

· A number of Palestinian civilians were injured by IOF.

· IOF conducted 23 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and one incursion into the Gaza Strip.

· Houses were raided and 35 Palestinian civilians, including
two dentists, were arrested by IOF. 

· IOF raided and searched a flour company in Khan Yunis and
used two of its workers as human shields.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; a
Palestinian trader died at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing and IOF held 16
patients at the Crossing; IOF have continued to close a number of roads and
border crossings in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the current Intifada;
and IOF arrested six Palestinian civilians at military checkpoints in the West
Bank.

· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the
West Bank; IOF attacked Palestinian civilians and international solidarity
activists who demonstrated in protest to the construction of the Wall, and arrested
seven Palestinian civilians.

· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property in the West Bank. 

  

Summary

Israeli violations of
international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) during
the reporting period (02 – 08 June 2005):

Unlawful Killings
and Shootings: Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) killed two Palestinians in the West Bank and an
unidentified person in the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, 07 June 2005, IOF extra-judicially killed a member of the
Islamic Jihad. The victim was hit by
several live bullets throughout the body after which the IOF bulldozed the
house where he hid over him.  IOF also killed an innocent bystander while
they were shelling the house.  On the
same day, IOF killed a person, who has not been identified, near the Egyptian
border, south of Rafah, apparently when he was attempting to infiltrate into
Rafah through the border. The victim is
likely to be Egyptian. During the
reported period, seven Palestinian civilians, including four children, were
wounded by IOF.

Incursions:
IOF conducted 23
military incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF raided houses
and arrested 34 Palestinian civilians. IOF
broke into the yards of the al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem and attacked
hundreds of Palestinian civilians who gathered to stop attempts by extremist
Israeli settlers to break into the Mosque. IOF also conducted one incursion into the Gaza Strip and used two
workers at al-Matahen Flour Company in Khan Yunis as human shields while
searching the company. 

Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a
tightened siege on the OPT, including Jerusalem.  In the Gaza Strip, IOF
have continued to completely or partially close some roads and border crossings
of the Gaza Strip and impose severe restrictions on the internal movement of
Palestinian civilians. A Palestinian
trader died at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip
due to the congestion at the crossing on 03 June 2005. IOF also held 16
patients who were on their way from the Gaza Strip to Israeli hospitals for at
least 14 hours on 06 June 2005. They
interrogated these patients and forced them to travel back to the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, IOF positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank arrested six Palestinian
civilians, including a girl. On
Thursday, 02 June 2005, IOF positioned at a checkpoint near Bethlehem fired at
a Palestinian child, wounding him with a live bullet in the abdomen. 

Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the “Annexation
Wall” inside the West Bank territory. On Thursday, 02 June 2005, IOF started to raze areas of Palestinian
agricultural land an uproot trees in Marda village, south of Nablus. By the end of the reported period, IOF had
uprooted at least 800 olive trees. On Friday,
03 June 2005, IOF razed at least 300 donums[1] of
agricultural land in al-Ramadin village, southwest of Hebron. On Monday, 06 June 2005, IOF razed at least
eight donums of agricultural land in Jayous village, north of Qalqilya, to
establish an iron gate for the Wall. In
addition, IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli solidarity activists in
protest to the construction of the Wall. A number of demonstrators were injured and/or arrested.

Illegal Settler Activities: Israeli settlers in breach of international
humanitarian law continue to reside in the OPT and have launched a series of
attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. On Sunday, 05 June 2005, IOF demolished a
house and a number of agricultural stores and animal farms in Yatta village,
south of Hebron. On Wednesday, 08 June
2005, a number of Israeli settlers demolished walls of a shop in Hebron and set
fire to it.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting
Period (02 – 08 June 2005)

The full report is available PDF format.